Process of manufacturing artificial blocks.



MARCUS P. ANDREWS, OF PETERSBURG,-VIRGINIA.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL BLOCKS.

menace.

N Drawing.

1T0 all whom "if may concern:

Be it known that I, MARCUS P, ANDREWS,

residing at Petersburggin the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes ofManufacturing Artificial Blocks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is an improved process of manufacturing artificial blockswhich are" composed of wood fiber, a preservative, and a bindingmaterial.

in carrying out my invention, I first take the wood fiber, (preferablyin the form of saw dust or the like), and dry it by the action of drysteam, (superheated steam), and then immediately pass the wood fiberinto a vapor of dry steam, containing a preserv;

'ative, say for example, creosote,'until the required amount ofpreservative has been taken up by the wood fiber. Next the preservedwood fiber is passed through a bath of the binding material say, a bathof asphaltum, which is maintained in a liquid state by the atmosphere ofdry steam, the preserved Wood being thoroughly mixed with the bindingmaterial while inthe presence of the atmosphere of steam. The wood fiberhaving been creosoted and then intro-' duced into the bath of thebinding material (such as asphaltum hydroline or the like), andthoroughly mixed, is placed, while hot, in individual molds and suitablepressure is applied thereto to compress the fluid or viscous mass in themolds, and the motds are at the same time, i. a, while the pres ure isapplied, subjected to the action of a blast of cold air, or otherrefrigerant, whereby the contents of the molds will be rapidly cooledwhile under'pressure The cooling of the contents of the molds whileunder pressure produces a hard block or brick, it being understood thatthe molds are of such shape and size as 'to give to the brick therequiredconfiguration.

The use of an atmosphere of dry steam of a uniform temperaturethroughout the process of preparing the material for the molds insures auniform temperature throughout; insures the action taking place in a dryatmosphere to substantially prevent moisture being taken up by the mass,and insures a greater uniformity in the final product than is possibleto obtain b other processes. Af-

ter the bricks have con molded they are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21,, 1912..

Application filed July 19, 1911. Serial No. 639,403.

ready for use and may be used where ever found convenient.

From the foregoing, it will be noticed the wood fiber is subjected tothe action of dry steam to drive out its fluid constituents, and therebydry the same. After the fiber has been so treated it is maintained inits dry state for the reason that the entire succeeding operations up tothe operation of molding, take place in the presence of an atmosphere ofdry steam of a substantially constant temperature which serves tomaintain a constanttempe'rature and humidity in the chambers in whichthe operations are taking place. l

Bricks formed by my process are absolutely free of moisture and thusthey are not rendered porous or subjected to rapid disintegration, Bycooling the molds and their contents at the same time that pressure isapplied a much harder and compact brick is obtained than is possibleotherwise, and a brick that is less liable to disintegrate isconsequently produced. i

" The brick which I manufacture, particularly by 'my process is thatwhich forms the subject-matterof my application filed June 16, 1910,Serial No. 567 ,303, and in th1s application I lay no claim to anyparticular brick, as the'particular composition of the brick will bevaried to "suit the exigencies of the case, the essential'features ofthe present invention residing in the'process employed whereby a uniformproduct can be obtained.

From the foregoing it is believed that the phere of dry steam passingthe preserved product into a bath of viscous binding material which iskept at a constant temperature and constitution by the presence of theat mosphere of steam, and then taking the mass and placing it into moldsto mold it into shape and cooling the same.

2. The process of manufacturing artificial blocks or bricks whichconsists in introduc ing wood fiber into an atmosphere of dry orsuperheated steam to dry the fiber," then, while maintaining theatmosphere of dry steam, introducing, the dried fiber into a vapor ofdry steam containing a preservative, then while still maintaining theatmosphere of dry steam passing the preserved product into a bath ofViscous binding material which is kept at a constanttemperature andconstitution by the presence of the atmosphere of steam, and thenplacing the mass into molds, subjecting the mass while in the molds topressure and while the mass dium, allof the foregoingoperations takingplace in the atmosphere of dry steam whereby to maintain a uniformtemperature and humidity, and then molding the product so obtained inthe desired forml 4. The process of manufacturing artificial blockswhichconsists in taking wood fiber,

subjecting it to the action of an atmosphere. of dry steam, subsequentlysubjecting the fiber to the action of a dry steam Vapor containingcreosote and then introducing the mass into a bath of a liquid bindingmedium, allof the foregoing operations taking place in the atmosphere ofdry steam whereby to maintain a uniform temperature and humidity, andthen placing the product so obtained into molds, compressing the productin the molds and simultaneously acting on the molds with a rapid coolingagent to rapidly coolthe contents of the molds while under pressure. p

- 5. The process of manufacturing artificial blocks which consists intaking wood fiber and dryin then introducing said wood fiber-into avapor containing creosote until said wood fiber has absorbed a definiteamount ofcreosote,

it by the action of dry steam,

then-introducing said creosoted wood fiber into a fluid bath of abinding medium, and mifiing the same together, the foregoing operationsall taking place in an atmosphere of superheated steam whereby tomaintain a constant temperature and humidity and maintain such bindingmaterial in the fluid state, and subsequently taking the resultantproduct, placing it into molds under pressure and cooling the productwhile in the molds under pressure. MARCUS P. ANDREWS.

Witnesses:

P. S. PUGH' GRACE W. ldmrnnn.

